The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-09-08
SIEGE OF THE ALAMO.
An Eyewitness Tells the Story of That
Bloody Fight.

An Eyewitness Tells the Story of That
Bloody Fight.
Col. R. l.. Crompton, of Roxbury,
Mass, is probably the only living
American who was an eyewitness of
that fearful struggle, and from him
were obtained the facts on which this
article is founded. He left his Mass
achusetts home in the winter of 1884,
TO hunt fortune in the west. He started
for Lexington. KY, but fell in with
band bound for Texas to join
Col. Travis, near San Antonio de
Beyar. He decided to east his lot in
the struggle for Texan independence.
The party was largely made up of
young and fiery Kentuckians and
Tennesseeans, some of them hardly
more than boys. Many exciting Incl
dents marked their journey, but they
finally reached the great Lone Star
state. Young Crompton at once en-
listed under Col Milan.
las soon as we had gathered suffi-
cient strength" he said, i'll telling the
rest of the story, 1--WE attacked the
Mexican forces in San Antonio. They
far outnumbered us and desperate
struggle ensued. For days we fought
in the streets and among the adobe
houses, each one of which was minia-
ture fortress. With pick and spades
we dug our way through the walls
from house to house. The fight for
the Vereminda house was fierce and
bloody, but at last we drove the Mexi-
cans out and took possession.
'Our triumph was soon turned to
mourning. On that very day, Milan,
our beloved leader, fell dead, shot by
Mexican who lay concealed behind a
wall on the opposite side of the San
Antonio river. We did not retain the
house long, as the advance of Santa
Anna compelled us to Withdraw, leaving
Travis with less than $50 men to garri-
son the place.
Il shall never forget the day when
young Maverick dashed into our camp
with the news that Travis, refusing to
retreat, was shut up in the Alamo and
surrounded by an overwhelming force.
While Houston was 50 weak he could
not come to the rescue.
II started off to join the imprisoned
band. 1t was hopeless undertaking g
as soon found when | got bullet in
me. crawled away in the darkness.
A Mexican whom | had befriended
during our occupation of the city
generously agreed to conceal me in his
house. A narrow window commanded
an excellent view of one front of the
Alamo wall, and from this point could
see nearly all of that memorable strug-
gle.
DAY after day the Mexican fire was
kept up, and time after time were their
storming columns hurled against the
old church wall, which formed the
Texan rampant. But nothing could
disturb the defenders. At the close of
each day the Lone Star flag tioated as
proudly and, apparently, as secure as
ever from the roof of the mission. The
Mexican losses were fearful. Their
clumsy eScOpte0S were no match for the
long Hawkins rifles. Hundreds fell
every day, but they were little missed
from that overwhelming host while
every man of the garrison who died
was an irreparable loss. The line along
the wall grew very thin. Still there was
no thought of surrender. At length,
when death and wounds had reduced
the poor handful to half its original
numbers, the Mexicans effected a
Judgement on an undefended part of
wall. Instantly they poured in by
hundreds.
"Although there was no hope of sue
cess the brave Texans fought as steadily
and as firmly as on the first day of the
siege. From room to room went the
fight. The puny Mexicans learned by
bitter experience the deadly power of
bowie knives and dubbed rifles in the
hands of desperate Americans. But
human endurance has its limits. At
length Santa Anna was master of the
Alamo. but not until the last American
lay cold in death. From my window
| could hear the shouts and yells and
see the struggling figures.
when all was over | begged my
host to 90 into the Alamo and bring
me news of all that had occurred. He
came back in an hour or two, and said
that such shambles never had been seen
before. The dead were heaped in wild
confusion throughout the building.
The cutters fairly ran with blood. In
a room on the ground floor was the
corpse of Gel. Bowie. He had been
butchered upon his sick bed. Not far
away from him was found the brave
and eccentric Dayy Crockett. But
the most impressive sight was in a
small room in the upper story. where
the gallant Travis lay, bullet hole in
his forehead. Strewn around him
were the corpses of fifteen Mexicans,
who had died by his hand. Of the
Texans not one survived, but they did
not die unavenged. No less than 1000
Mexicans fell before less than 150
Americans"